Signature machines

ABSTRACT

A signature feeding machine, in which signatures are transferred one by one from a stack in a supply station, is so constructed as to enable the signatures to be separated automatically.

United States Patent 271/39 271/31 27l/30(A) 271/(30 A) S m m T m m N u n E m m m m H P. U C E m m WT nun" 5 TMe h .NS a a e l R SBGM E 00487 N3445 U9999 HHHH 0 75 11 6748 200 13 3 42 .1 3649 6 ,3 1 H. 2222 m n I. 0 m m a L V. r e n 9 m 7 9 h 91M1 flulnll '00 B d lw e no emm r m nnnm 0 0 JA8 JCC r de m N mm w M wm v Phmx m AFPA U UN 7 2247 1 1111 Primary Examiner-Edward A. Sroka AllomeyKinzer, Born and Zickert [54] SIGNATURE MACHINES 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

271/31 ABSTRACT: A signature feeding machine, in which signa- B65h 3/08 tures are transferred one by one from a stack in a supply sta- 271/26, 28, tion, is so constructed as to enable the signatures to be 3031,39,43,57; 198/133 separated automatically.

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PATENTEB Jlmzelsm 3589.712 sum 1 [IF 3 I ventor r'z Bo lla.

PATENIED JUN29 I971 SHEEI 2 BF 3 e J fh e Irv/enter John. .Ba l la.

.DMMZW PATENTED JUH29 l97l SHEET 3 OF 3 Inventor Jchh- Ba HQ.

3 W. d ZMJ .flH or-negs SIGNATURE MACHINES This invention relates to a signature feeding machine.

A signature is simply a folded sheet bearing printed matter. Books are composed of signatures, and in doing this the different signatures required for the book may be fed from different supply stations in such a fashion that a second signature is collected atop a first signature, a third signature is collected atop the second signature, and so on. Then the collected, juxtaposed signature are joined as by stapling or stitching at their backbones (the folds) to complete the book. McCain U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,721 discloses a signature feeding and collecting machine of this character.

In a particular run of the machine, there will be literally thousands upon thousands of signatures delivered from each supply station. The operator of the machine is responsible to maintain makeup additions of signatures at the supply stations, but in doing this the operator must fan the signatures to keep them loose so that at the time a leading signature is transferred from a supply station, it will not tend to stick to or drag on the next following signature interferring with effective transfer.

The need to separate the signature requires that the machine be operated at a conforming speed, and the primary object of the present invention is to incorporate in the machine a separating means which will be effective at any practical speed. A related object of the invention is to drive the separating means from a source which will conform specifically to the speed of the signature transfer means. Another object of the invention is to correlate signature separator action and signature feed action to the thickness of the signatures being handled.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what is now considered to be the best mode contemplated for applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention.

In the drawings FIGS. 1 and 2 are fragmentary perspective views at the signature supply station of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, and with some parts removed to reveal other parts;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing features of construction at the supply station;

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of certain operating means in the machine; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 5 on a substantially large scale.

A complete signature feeding and collecting machine, representative of a machine which may be modified in accordance with the present invention, is disclosed in the aforesaid McCain U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,721. Such machines may of course vary from the standpoint of the general way in which signatures are oriented and the path to be followed by the signatures from the supply station incidental to collecting the signatures one atop another to form the book. Hence, while a specific mode for. reduction to practice is disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that the principles are applicable to other forms of construction.

Thus, referring to FIG. I, only a portion of the signature machine is illustrated which is that which includes parts associated with the supply station or magazine S and the parts associated with the transfer station T to which each signature is to be transferred from the supply station. As shown in FIG. 4, the individual signatures SG are arranged in a horizontal stack at the supply station with their folded edges or backbones facing downwardly. The leading signature LG,

FIG. 4, will ordinarily be in contact with a stop 10 which defines, in effect, the exit throat at the front of the supply stat|on.

Thus, the signatures are withdrawn one by one past the stop 10 and moved in the direction of so-called collector wheels I2, FIG. 1, which have gripper means (not shown) for grabbing the transferred signature and presenting it to other parts in the machine effective to open or unfold the signature, which is a maneuver for preparing the signature to be deposited on a conveyor. These operations are well known in the art, and are embodied in the disclosure of the aforesaid McCain patent.

Such transfer of the signature from the supply station in the present instance is accomplished by transfer means in the form of reciprocal sucker fingers 15, FIGS. 1, 2 and 6. Each sucker finger 15 presents a suction cup 16 at the lower end, and the finger itself is in the form ofa conduit in communication with subatrnospheric pressure within a support tube 17, FIG. 5. Each sucker finger is rigidly joined to the support tube 17 by a clamp 19, FIG. 5. The support tube 17 is supported at opposite ends by brackets as 20, in turn supported on a rock shaft 21.

The sucker fingers 15 are reciprocated cyclically, first in the direction of the leading signature to present the suction cups 16 thereto (suction is effective) and then in the reverse direction toward the collector wheels I2 to transfer the thus gripped signature from the supply station to the collector wheels at which time suction is disabled to release the signatures to the collector wheels.

Such reciprocal motion for the transfer means is under control .of a cam 25, FIGS. 5 and 6, carried on a cam shaft 26. The cam shaft is constantly rotated in the course of operation of the machine such as to sequentially present the lobes 25L of the cam 25 to a cam follower 28 carried at the lower end of a cam lever 30 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a shaft 31, FIG. 6. As best shown in FIG. 5, the cam level 30 is urged toward the cam 25 by a strong spring 31. When the dwell portions of the cam 25, the low parts between the lobes 25L, are presented to the follower 28, spring 31 is effective to urge the cam lever 30 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 6. The cam lever 30, on the other hand, will be urged counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 6 when a cam lobe 25L is presented to the follower 28.

A transmitting link 33 is connected at one end to the cam lever 30, and at the opposite end is connected to the lower end of the bracket 20. I-Ience, reciprocal motion of the cam lever 30 is imparted to bracket 20, accounting for the reciprocal motion of the transfer means 15 in cyclical synchronization with the revolutions of the cam 25.

In accordance with the present invention, the signatures adjacent the stop 10, FIG. 4, are separated by a toothed wheel 40, and this action is exerted by the teeth on the wheel 40 bearing against the lower folded edges of the signatures in the stack of signatures presented at the supply station. By so separating the signatures, the latter are in effect fanned and spread to a looser state so that one will not tend to stick to another at the time of transfer. In addition, the signatures as a group or stack are moved in the direction of the stop 10 by feed means in the form of serrated or toothed feed bands 42, FIG. 1, being four in number in the present instance. Thus, and as will be observed in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper passes of the feed bands 42 lie in a common plane. A pair of support bars 43 and 44, FIG. I, extend rearwardly of the stop 10, and the upper surfaces of these bars lie in the same plane as the chains 42 so that in the portion of the supply magazine adjacent the stop 10 there is both a rigid support for the lower edges of the signatures and a moving support represented by the feed bands 42. A guide blade 45, FIGS. 3 and 4, is centered on the separator wheel 40. This guide is adjustable and tends to align the signatures approaching the separator wheel. The upper surface of the guide blade is also in the aforesaid plane.

Both the feed bands and the separator wheel are driven from a common source, and to this end a main support and drive shaft 50, FIG. 3, extends across the supply station at the forward end thereof and in a direction transverse to the path of movement of the feed bands 42. The manner in which motion is imparted to the drive shaft 50 will be explained below.

Shaft 50 has a gear 51 fixed thereto, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Gear 51 is meshed with an intermediate gear 52 on a stub shaft (not shown) and gear 52 in turn is meshed with a gear 53 so that the latter turns in the same direction as shaft 50. These gears are in a cluster as shown in FIG. 6, and gear 53 is carried on a shaft 54 which extends transversely of the supply station parallel to shaft 50 as shown in FIG. 3. The end of shaft 54 opposite gear 53 carries a transmitting gear 55, and this gear is meshed with a gear 55, in turn meshed with a gear 56 which represents a hub extension on the toothed separator wheel 40. The toothed separator wheel 40 is freely supported on shaft 50, but may be turned in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4 when the gear 56 is driven. The relations are such that the separator wheel will be turned counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 4.

The same drive used to actuate the toothed wheel, as noted above, is used to drive the feed bands. To this end shaft 50 carries a plurality of sprocket wheels 60 corresponding in number to the number of feed bands 42. As shown in FIG. 2, the feed bands 42 extend for a considerable length at the supply station, and the ends of the feed bands opposite the drive sprockets 60 are trained around idler sprockets 61 carried on a support shaft 62 which extends transversely of the supply station parallel to shaft 50.

In the present instance motion imparted to the separator wheel and to the feed bands is an intermittent drive rather than a constant drive, and the need to drive these parts is determined by sensing means in the form of a pair of sensing fingers 65, FIGS. 3 and 5, which are fast on a rock shaft 66. The shaft 66, as. shown in FIG. 5, extends parallel to the stop 10, but is located therebelow. THe sensing fingers 65 are clamped to shaft 66 by any convenient means, and the actual sensing elements are in the form of adjustable blades 67 which nonnally are in alignment with the stop 10.

Under normal circumstances the feed bands are effective to feed the signatures forwardly, bringing the lower marginal portion of the leading signature, FIG. 4, into contact with the sensing elements 67. This normal action occurs against the resistance of a return spring 70', FIG. 5, having one end secured to a stud on the rock shaft 66 and the opposite end (not shown) secured to a fixed stop.

A common drive for the separator wheel and the feed bands, through shaft 50, is an intermittent one which includes a one-way clutch 70, FIG. 5, of known construction. The drive, however, is normally disabled, and is enabled for opera tion by repositioning a throwout cam 75 carried at one end of the shaft 66. Further, in order that the parts driven through shaft 50 will be timed cyclically in synchronization with the operation of the transfer fingers 15, a second control cam 77 is affixed to the cam shaft 26. Cam 77, like cam 25, has three lobes, 77L with three dwells therebetween. Cam 77 is disposed adjacent a second cam lever 78 pivotally supported intermediate its ends on the support shaft 31, FIG. 6. The cam lever 78 is biased by a spring 79, FIG. 5, so that its follower 81 is urged toward cam 77.

A force transmitting link 80 at one end is connected to the associated cam lever 78 and at the opposite end is connected to one arm of a bellcrank 82 pivotally mounted on shaft 21. The other arm of the bellcrank 82 is pivotally connected to a compound link 83, FIG. 6, characterized by a plunger 84 having a piston head 84H and an interposed spring 85, inside a cylinder 86, allowing lost motion in the transmission of force in the event an obstruction is encountered as will be explained below. Assuming no obstruction, the link 83 may be viewed as a single rigid link, and the end thereof opposite the bellcrank 82 is connected to a clutch drive lever 87 representing the input to the one-way clutch 70.

The one-way clutch 70 is the well-known Formsprag clutch, model I-IPl-400, but any other suitable one-way clutch may be used which slips in one direction and drives in the opposite direction. Thus, in the present instance when the link 83 is driven upwardly as viewed in FIG. 6, the clutch 70 tends to be driven (if no obstruction), but on the return or down stroke the clutch 70 idles and is ineffective to rotate shaft 50 regardless of the position of cam 75.

When a lobe 77L of cam 77 is presented to the follower 81 on the cam arm 78, the cam arm 78 is rocked counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 6, producing forward motion of the transmitting link 80. The bellcrank 81 is rocked clockwise, and the clutch operating lever 87 is likewise rocked clockwise, provided cam 75 is displaced counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 6, and this being so, the clutch is effective to impart corresponding rotation to the drive shaft 50. This drive motion, through shaft 50, produces the desired separator movement of the separator wheel 40, and at the same time the feed bands 42 are driven in a forward direction to advance the signatures toward the stop 10. When a dwell of cam 77 is presented to follower'SI, the motions are opposite; clutch drive lever 87 is turned counterclockwise, but this only characterizes nondrive of clutch 70, which means that shaft 50 is undisturbed.

On the otherhand, if there is no signature adjacent the stop 10, then spring 70, FIG. 5, is effective to rotate shaft 66 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 5, displacing cam 75, and cam 75 is then positioned as shown by dotted line in FIG. 6.

If there is a signature against the stop 10, then cam 75 remains in its blocking position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, preventing the clutch drive lever 87 from being advanced through upward its driving stroke. In this event, the lost motion connections are brought into play. Thus, with cam 75 in the drive-disabling position shown in FIG. 6, it acts as a stop on the shoulder 76 of lever 87, and when link 83 is shifted upwardly spring 85 only compresses in lost motion.

In the total operation of the machine, and as a summaryQa signature will ordinarily be withdrawn from the supply station by the suction cups l6, moved past the stop 10, FIG. 4, and transferred to the collector wheels 12. A gap is thus produced between the stop 10 and the next signature SG in the stack. This gap is detected by the sensing fingers 67, such that spring 70' will rotate shaft 66 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 5. This displaces the clutch drive disabling cam 75 from its blocking position. The timing is such that when a signature has been transferred, and as the sucker fingers start their return stroke to pick up a new signature, cam 75 will indeed be displaced from its blocking position, allowing an effective clockwise stroke of the clutch operating lever 87 as viewed in FIG. 6, whereupon the signatures adjacent the stop 10 are subjected to the action of the separator wheel, and at the same time the signature stack is moved forwardly by the feed bands until the next leading signature is pressed against the stop 10 and the blades 67 of the sensing fingers.

The commercial demand in this instance was to transfer signatures at a high rate of speed. The initial approach was to shorten the stroke of the sucker fingers 15, allowing more strokes per unit of time. In turn, this was analyzed as requiring each signature to be precisely located at a stop as 10, but without compressing the stack of signatures, which would only make effective transfer more difficult; in fact, with thin signatures, the tendency might be to (incorrectly) pick up two signatures at once through the suction in the cups l6. Intermittent operation coupled with the separator wheel 40, and the sensing fingers to disrupt forward feed (avoid compression) when a signature is sensed as being at the ready position was the solution. 7

The sensing fingers automatically compensate between thick and thin signatures. Ifa thin signature, then little separator action is required, and likewise only a small increment of movement ofthe feed bands is required. If thick signatures are involved, then greater action on both scores is required. The sensing fingers 65 detect the gap left by the signature withdrawn. The gap will vary directly with signature thickness. Hence, the sensing finger movement is itself in direct proportion and this is likewise true of the extent to which the cam 75 moves as a result, allowing for more or less effective drive stroke of the clutch operating lever 87.

Hence, while i have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that variations and modifications are possible within the principles disclosed and the purview of the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. In a signature feeding machine where signatures each substantially in an upright position in a stack at a supply station are to be transferred individually from the supply station to another station, a stop at the forward end of the supply station against which the lower edge of a signature is to be located in ready position incidental to transfer, cyclically operable transfer means effective to transfer a signature in ready position to the other station, means to sense the presence or absence of a signature in ready position against the stop, feed means to urge the stack of signatures forwardly to constantly present a leading signature to the stop, toothed wheel adjacent the stop to separate the lower edges of the signatures from time to time to loosen the signatures for effective transfer, drive means operable in response to failure of the sensing means to sense a signature in ready position to actuate the separator means and the feed means, and timing means synchronized with the transfer means to time operation of the drive means.

2. A machine according to claim 1, in which the feed means includes feed bands, said drive means being common to both the feed means and the toothed wheel.

3. A machine according to claim 2, in which the drive means includes a one-way clutch and a drive shaft driven thereby which in turn is provided with gears for driving the toothed wheel and the feed means, a cam shaft having a cam for operating cyclically said transfer means, and said cam shaft supporting a second cam which times the operation of said clutch.

4. A machine according to claim 3, in which the clutch has a drive lever controlled by said second cam, a third cam normally holding said drive lever in an ineffective position to disable the clutch, and means responsive to failure of the sensing means to detect a signature in ready position to render said third cam ineffective. 

1. In a signature feeding machine where signatures each substantially in an upright position in a stack at a supply station are to be transferred individually from the supply station to another station, a stop at the forward end of the supply station against which the lower edge of a signature is to be located in ready position incidental to transfer, cyclically operable transfer means effective to transfer a signature in ready position to the other station, means to sense the presence or absence of a signature in ready position against the stop, feed means to urge the stack of signatures forwardly to constantly present a leading signature to the stop, toothed wheel adjacent the stop to separate the lower edges of the signatures from time to time to loosen the signatures for effective transfer, drive means operable in response to failure of the sensing means to sense a signature in ready position to actuate the separator means and the feed means, and timing means synchronized with the transfer means to time operation of the drive means.
 2. A machine according to claim 1, in which the feed means includes feed bands, said drive means being common to both the feed means and the toothed wheel.
 3. A machine according to claim 2, in which the drive means includes a one-way clutch and a drive shaft driven thereby which in turn is provided with gears for driving the toothed wheel and the feed means, a cam shaft having a cam for operating cyclically said transfer means, and said cam shaft supporting a second cam which times the operation of said clutch.
 4. A machine according to claim 3, in which the clutch has a drive lever controlled by said second cam, a third cam normally holding said drive lever in an ineffective position to disable the clutch, and means responsive to failure of the sensing means to detect a signature in ready position to render said third cam ineffective. 